Criticism of "The Soviet Story"

[Grover Furr-FM]

Prof. Smorodinskaia wrote:

>  Vivat American Academy! Professor Furr, an Associate Professor of
>  English at Montclair continues to teach his courses at a state
>  university, defending Stalinism and Communism.

This statement is a fabrication -- the polite term for a lie. Professor 
Smorodinskaia has made this up.

(Prof. Slivkin recognized this when he wrote: "though I am not sure that 
he does".)

I teach British literature. Stalin and Soviet history do not enter into 
my courses at all. But if I did -- so what?

The amount of falsehood -- brazen, overt lies and fabrications -- taught 
as truth in the field of Soviet history is breathtaking! Somebody ought 
to be exposing this fact to students. Someone in a History or Political 
Science department. I could not do so if I wanted to.

I am not an anti-communist. But I have many colleagues and friends who are.

Most of them would agree with me when I say that it does the cause of 
anti-communism no benefit when its proponents must have recourse to 
falsehoods.

>  However, an "objective" historian Aleksandr Diukov called for firing
>  his colleagues from the Russian Academy of Sciences for expressing
>  alternative views. So much for unbiased truth. Однако нельзя
>  исключать и гораздо худшего варианта. Рогинский, Лебедева и Случ
>  могли принять участие в создании антироссийского пропагандистского
>  опуса сознательно. Сотруднику независимого центра <Мемориал> в этом
>  случае судьей может быть только Бог. А вот сотрудники финансируемых
>  государством академических институтов Лебедева и Случ в таком случае
>  должны быть уволены с волчьим билетом. Ибо речь идет не об научных
>  разногласиях, а об участии в создании заведомой фальшивке, наносящий
>  серьезный урон имиджу нашей страны на международной арене. Если
>  кому-то хочется заниматься антироссийской пропагандой - пусть он
>  занимается этим не за государственный счет. Либо мы слышим от
>  Лебедевой и Случа публичное осуждение фильма, либо - заявление РАН об
>  их увольнении. Третьего не дано. Александр Дюков
>  http://novchronic.ru/1205.htm

I'm reasonably familiar with the work of Lebedeva, and with some of the 
work of Roginskii. There is no question that they are far right-wing 
anticommunists who distort facts to fit their agenda. Of Sluch I have 
read only one article, so I can't comment on him.

Right-wing conservatives have demanded that _I_ be fired because my 
writings do not conform to their notions of "patriotism." This is 
similar to what Diukov advocates, and I don't support it.

Even though right-wing anticommunists have demanded that I be fired, I 
do not demand that they be fired, as Diukov does.

The question before us is this: Is Diukov's book, available free online, 
worth reading -- a reasonable refutation of the falsifications in "The 
Soviet Story"? I maintain that it is.

"The Soviet Story". Mekhanizm lzhi. - 
http://actualhistory.ru/polemics-the-soviet-lies

A word to the wise: When anyone suggests that I _not_ read a book, the 
first thing I do is go out and _read that book_!

So I urge you to read Diukov's book. What's the worst that can happen? 
You will be a more informed viewer of the film "The Soviet Story." That 
would not be a bad thing.

Grover Furr
Montclair SU

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